Toy pistol



juy 3, B934.

P. H. MILBERYl TOY PISTOL Filed. April 18 1953 T.. ,bm T V-.Il mmm H YM C m @by Y vwvami ATTyS.

Patentecl July 3, 1934 f' STA-@TES PATENTV OFFICE Tor PIsToL Percy H. Milbery, Pembroke, Mass., assignor to National Fireworksdnc., West Hanover, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 18, 1933, Serial N0. 666,665

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in toy pistols, and the principal object thereof is to provide an improved mechanism for insuring *more accurate firing ofthe explosive pellets of -Strip ammunition.

In repeating toy pistols heretofore constructed the mea-ns for feedingv the ammunition strip to position the pellets successively upon the anvil comprisesy a spring or other device adapted to l0 engage the tape rearwardly of and in proximity to the terminal unexploded pellet and upon retracting or cockingmovement of the hammer to advance the tape sufficiently to position the terminal pellet upon the anvil, and upon release of the hammer to ride backwardly over the tape and the `next succeeding pellet and'engage the tapeagain in proximity to the next succeeding pellet before the hammer strikes the positionedV pellet. In all such constructions the pellet next 2'0 succeeding the positioned pellet is exposed at the time the hammer strikes and explodes the positioned pellet. The back lire from the exploding pellet therefore may and often does ignite the next succeeding pellet so that the pistol will 2'5 misfire upon the next actuation of the hammer.

In some of the prior constructions such backre has ignited other pellets causing an explosion ofthe remainder of the pellets of the tape and injuring the hand ofthe operator.

inf4 One ofY the objects ofthe present invention is to provide protective means for preventingA back-lire from the exploding pellet into the next Succeeding pellet, or to any other pellet of the ammunition strip.

l A further feature of the invention consists in providing the hammer with a flat spring which will engage the strip of tape between the positioned pellet and the next Ysucceeding pellet before the hammer strikes the positioned pellet,

`and which preferably acts during the initial movement of the hammer to supplement the feeding of the tape and upon further retraction of the hammer is removed from engagement with the tape in such manner as toV remove and tear 'away fragments of the ytape whichl may have become deposited upon the anvil during the explosicn of a preceding pellet.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pistol of the character above described with novel means for retracting the hammer which will be positive in its action both-in retracting the hammer and certain inreleasing the hammer when it has been retracted to a predetermined distance, thereby preventing any possible premature explosion ofthe pellet.

These and other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the following desciption and the accompanying drawing and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

`Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a toy pistol embodying the invention, portions of one sidev of the casing having been removed to illustrate the mechanism and showing the hammer in normal position in engagement with the anvil, and the 3f!"l protecting member between the terminal unexploded pellet and the anvil;

Fig. 2 is a similar View illustrating the hammer in retracted or cocked position just before it is released to strike the positioned explosive pellet; and,V

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the preferred form of hammer showing the manner in which a combined feeding spring and protector spring is mounted upon the hammer.

The toy pistol illustrated in the accompanying drawing comprises a casing 1 in the form and general appearance of a pistol preferably of the automatic type. The casing preferably is made of cast metal formed in two complementary SQ sections, one of which is not shown, which when fastened together by a suitable bolt or rivet 2 form a hollow chamber in which the working mechanism of the pistol is located. The back 3 of the casing is made separate from the side members thereof and is pivotally secured thereto by bosses 4 extending into suitable sockets in the walls of the side members of the casing. 'I'he upper end of the back member is provided with a front flat face 5 forming an anvil with which 90- the hammer co-operates. One side of the lower portion of the back member is provided with a at lateral extension or flange 6 forming a part of the handle member of the pistol.

The hollow handle portion of the pistol comprises a chamber 7 to receive a strip, preferably a roll, of tape ammunition and is provided with a stud 8 extending from the wall of the casing upon which the roll of tape may be mounted. The hammer member 9 is of general rectangular 100' shape and providedwith a central recess to reduce its weight, and has an upward extension forming a hammer 10 presenting a at face adapted to engage the anvil 5. The hammer is normally held in contact with the anvil by a spring, preferably in the form of a resilient wire 11, which is coiled about one of two axially alined studs 12 which project from opposite sides of the hammer in axial alinement and are journaled in the sides of the casing and form the pivot of the be easily retracted or cocked. The extension y is provided with a preferably curved shoulder 16 Aadapted to be engaged by a trigger mechanism` for retracting the hammer. The triggerfmechanism comprises a lever 17 which isl provided with pivotal studs 18 extending in axial alinement from opposite sides of the trigger-lever andy are journaled in the lwalls of the casing. kThe rtrigger lever has a curved lower end portion 19 projecting below the casing to be engaged by the finger, and an upwardly extending arm 20 to which yis pivoted a link member 21 having a loop Aor slot to engage the shoulder y16 of the projection 15 upon the hammer. l

Desirably the link 21 is formed of sheet metal bent to inverted U-shape in cross section and provided with a central slot 22 to receive the extension 15of the hammer and toY engage the shoulder 16 thereof. The central portionr of the U- shaped member isprovided with a forwardy extension 23 which is bent downwardly and has a perforation 24 to receive the end ofa spring 25 A.preferably in the form cfa wire which is coiled about the stud 18, and the opposite end of which engages a suitable rabutment 26 upon thecasing. The actionof the spring tends to force the free end of the link intoy engagement with the hammer, as illustrated in Fig. 1, so that the prov'jection l5 of the hammer extends through the slot 22 whenthe hammeris in normal'position in engagement with thel anvil, as illustrated in Fig. l. The action of the spring also advances the finger end 19 of the trigger into the' position from which it may be pulled.V by the finger to retract the hammer.

In the operation of the device the pulling of the trigger draws the link 21 forwardly so that its `"engagement with the shoulder 16 of the projection l5 of the hammer-retracts the hammer until the shouldered portion 16 of the hammer assumes such position that it will ride out of the slot, as illustrated in Fig. 2, thereby releasing the ham- `l-mer and permitting it to be forced by the action A of the hammer spring 11 into engagement with the anvil.

By reason of this construction a powerful leverage is exertedby Vthe trigger upon the hammer which enables it to be retracted easily and to such distance as to insure a sufficient stroke of the hammer upon the anvil `unfailingly to ex-V plode the pellet which is positioned upon the anvil. l

One of the principal objects of the present in- Hvention is to provide means for insuring the positive feeding movement of the pellet of the tape to the anvil and to provide a protecting device which will engage the tape in proximity to the anvil and prevent back-fire of the exploding pellet into any other pellet of the tape. In previous toy pistol constructions the explosive pellet next to the pellet which is positioned upon the anvil at the time the hammer strikes it, has not been protected from such back-fire.V The present invention comprises afprot'ective device which engages the tape between the positioned pellet and the next pellet before the'hammer strikes the positioned tape. Any such protective device may be employed. In theV preferred lembodiment of the invention illustrated'herein the protective de lvice is mounted upon the hammer and so positioned that when the hammer has been lreleased. f

the protective device will engage the tape suff ciently in advance of the impact of the hammer upon the positioned pellet to prevent the backfire of the exploding pellet from igniting the next pellet of the tape, or any other pellet thereof.

The protective device may be secured to they hammer in any suitable manner to co-operate With the usual type of feeding spring which is Ycarried by the hammer in toy pistols of this type.

In the preferred construction illustrated herein a single flat spring, carried by the hammer, serves both as a feeding spring and a protective device of the character above described. In this construction the lower portion of the hammer is provided with a circular socket 27 which receives the looped portion 28 of a fiat spring, one member 29 of which extends rearwardly and upwardly to engage the tape and constitutes a feeding spring, While the other member 30 of which engages the tape in advance of the end of the feeding spring in such manner as to supplement the action of thel feeding spring during the initial advancing movement of the tape which is produced by the retractionr of the hammer, the protective devicel being Withdrawn from engagement with the tape upon further retracting movement of the hammer andacting when so removed to displace any fragments of the tape which may have adhered to the hammer, or which may lie the action of the hammer upon the positioned pellet.

In the constructionv illustrated the tape 31,y

.lug 36 also projecting from the Wall of the casing. The feeding member 29 ofthe spring, which is carried by the hammer, engages the tape just beyond the end of the detent spring when the hammer is in normal position in engagement with the anvil and engages the tape just behind the pellet which is to be positioned upon the anvil. The protective member 30 of the spring engages the tape in front of the pel- Ylet to be next positioned upon the anvil, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Upon the pulling of the trigger the hammer is retracted, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and the movement of the hammer about its pivot causes the feeding and protective detent springs 29 and 30 to advance the tape toward the anvil, In the initial feeding movement both the springs 29 and 30 act conjointly to feed the tape, thus insuring a positive movement of the tape. As the hammer is retracted further the protective spring 30 is withdrawn from engagement with the tape and by its removal serves to dislodge any pieces of the tape which may have adhered to the anvil, or which may extend above the lineof engagement of the protective spring therewith,

in the path of the hammer andv thereby cushion y anvil. The retractive movement of the hammer is such that the feeding spring advances the pellet to be exploded until it rests in proper position upon the anvil. When the trigger has been drawn sufficiently to cause the link 21 to release the hammer, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the hammer is impelled by its spring 13 against the tape. During the striking movement of the hammer the feeding spring 29 rides backwardly over the tape to engage rearwardly of the next pellet which is to be positioned upon the anvil. During such striking movement -the protective spring engages the tape in front of the next pellet before the hammer strikes and explodes the positioned pellet, so that neither the next pellet to be positioned nor any of the other pellets can be ignited by back-fire.

Any suitable means may be provided for securing the combined feeding and protective springs in the circular recess in the hammer. Desirably this is accomplished by providing a cylindrical stud 37 upon the hammer which extends through a complementary aperture in the protective portion 30 of the spring. This construction is of great advantage for the reason that in previousY constructions it has been necessary to bend the lower end of the feeding spring abruptly and seat it in an angular recess in the hammer, whereas by the present construction the socket in the hammer can be made to conform to the natural cylindrical curvature which results from bending the spring into U-shape, and the engagement of the spring with the stud is readily accomplished,

without requiring special tools for bending the "against back-firing, and more positive and certain actuation of the hammer is attained.

While the invention is illustrated and described herein as applied to a toy pistol construction in which the anvil is located at the v"upper end of the pivotally mounted back member of the casing, and the hammer so disposed as to co-operate with the anvil, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms of toy pistols, such, for example, as those 'in which the anvil is located in the horizontal position within the upper portion of the casing or adjacent to the muzzle of the pistol, and that various changes in form, construction and arrangement of parts may be made within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

l. A toy pistol comprising a casing having a magazine to support a strip of tape ammunition, an anvil, means for guiding the tape to said anvil including a detent for preventing retrograde movement of the tape, a spring-actuated hammer in co-operative relation to said anvil, means 'for retracting the hammer against the action of the spring, a tape-feeding spring operable by the retracting movement of the hammer to advance the tape and position an explosive pellet thereof upon the anvil, a protector and means for causing the same to engage the tape between the feeding spring and the anvil and rearwardly of and in proximity to the positioned pellet before the released hammer strikes the pellet, thereby prevent back-firing of the exploding pellet into another pellet of the tape.

hammer operable by the retracting movement'- of the hammer to position an explosive pellet of the tape upon the anvil, and a protector movable by said hammer, during its striking movement, into engagement with the tape between the feeding spring and the anvil and in proximity to the positioned pellet before the released hamlmer strikes the pellet, thereby preventing backring of the exploding pellet into another pellet of the tape.

3. A toy pistol comprising a casing having a magazine to support a strip of tape ammunition,

an anvil, means for guiding the tape to said anvil including a detent for preventing retrograde movement of the tape, a spring-actuated hammer in co-operative relation to said anvil, means for retracting the hammer against the action of the spring, means including'a tape-feeding spring portion on said hammer operable by the retracting movements of the hammer to position the explosive pellets of said tape successively upon the anvil, and a protector spring portion on said hammer movable by the striking movement of said hammer into engagement with the tape in proximity to the anvil before the hammer strikes the pellet which is positioned upon the anvil.

4. A toy pistol comprising a casing having a magazine to support a strip of tape ammunition, an anvil, means for guiding the tape to said anvil including a detent for preventing retrograde movement of the tape, a spring-actuated hammer in co-operative relation to said anvil, means for retracting the hammer against the action of the spring, a U-shaped at spring having arms adapted to contact the tape and its looped portion seated in a complementary recess in the hammer so positioned that one arm of said U-shaped spring will be maintained in engagement with the tape and will act upon retracting movement of the hammer to advance the tape and position a pellet upon the anvil, and the other arm of said spring will be removed from the tape during the retracting movement of the hammer and upon release of the hammer will engage the tape in proximity to the anvil before the hammer strikes the explosive pellet, thereby preventing ignition of any other pellet by back-fire.

5. A toy pistol comprising a casing having a magazine to support a strip of tape ammunition, an anvil, means for guiding the strip of ammunition to said anvil including a detent for preventing retrograde movement of said tape, a pivotally mounted spring-actuated hammer having a circular socket therein, a U-shaped flat spring seated in said socket, presenting a feeding member engaging the tape rearwardly of the terminal pellet, and a protector member of shorter length to engage the tape in front of the terminal pellet when the hammer is in normal position engaging the anvil and movable by the retracting movement of the hammer rst longitudinally in co-operation with the feeding member to advance the tape and thereafter away from the tape, thereby removing from the anvil any fragments of tape which may have adhered to it, and movable upon release of the hamanvil having a shouldered portion extending in mer into engagement'with the tape before the hammer strikes the pellet. Y,

6. A toy pistol comprising a casing having a magazine to support a strip of tape ammunition,

an anvil, means for guiding the strip of ammuni- Y member engaging the strip in front of said pellet When the hammer is in normal position engaging the anvil, whereby upon retraction of said hammer the feeding member Will advance the tape to position the terminal pellet thereof upon the anvil and upon release of Vthe hammer the protector member Will engage the tape intermediate of the positioned pellet and the next succeeding pellet of the tape before the hammer strikes the positioned pellet.

7. A toy pistol comprising Va casing having a magazine to support a strip of tape ammunition, an anvil, means for guiding the tape to said anvil including a detent for preventing retrograde movement of the tape, a pivotally mounted springactuated hammer in co-operative relation to said substantial parallelism with the hammer, a trigger pivotally mounted in said casing in front of said hammer, a link pivotally mounted on an extension of said trigger having means detachably engaging said shouldered projection operaable upon the pulling of said trigger to retract the hammer until it is swung into such position as to disengage said shoulder from said link and thereby release the hammer, means for causing re-engagement of said link with said shouldered projection upon release of the trigger, and feeding means operable by the retracting movement of the hammer to advance the tape and position the terminal pellet thereof on the anvil before the release of said hammer.

8. A toy pistol comprising a casing having a magazine to support a strip of tape ammunition, an anvil, means for guiding the tape to said anvil including a detent for preventing retrograde movement of the tape, a pivotally mounted springactuated hammer in co-operative relation to said anvil having a shouldered portion extending in substantial parallelism with the hammer, a trig ger pivotally mounted in said casing in front of said hammer, a U-shaped sheet metal link pivotally mounted on an extension of said trigger and having a slot engaging said shouldered projection operable upon the pulling of said trigger to retract the hammer until it is swung to such position as to Withdraw said shoulder from said slot, and a spring mounted on said casing engaging said link and acting to cause re-engage ment of said slot with said shouldered projection upon release of the trigger, and a spring on said hammer operable by the retracting movement thereof to advance the tape and position the terminal pellet thereof upon said anvil.

PERCY H. MILBERY. 

